Tim Johnson kindly sent me a copy of his book, Bosley Discovers the Waterfall, to review. No other compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

Being a homeschool family for so many years, we have tons of books. From picture books, the Great Books, to college textbooks, we are just loaded with books. We loved sharing books with our children when they were young, yet none are like the one children's book I just received to review from author, Tim Johnson.

Tim Johnson writes fun and interesting books for children in a dual language format. The text in English is written side-by-side to the same words in a different language. These are simple phrases that makes it easy for a child to learn a new language.

I received the book, Bosley Discovers the Waterfall, in both English and French. In the book, Bosley the bear learns that in the beauty of nature, there can also be some danger involved. One must always be careful when exploring and venturing to learn about new things.

With this book, I have been teaching my youngest son some words and phrases in French. He doesn't really see it as learning something new, he really enjoys the story and learning how to read it in French, too.

For children, learning a new language in the context of a story is such a powerful learning tool, because they can use the images, character, and plot to help them remember works and phrases. This is so much better than just an ordinary textbook, which can become quite boring. Even simple foreign words and phrases can give a child a completely new perspective and open their eyes to anew ways of seeing the world.

All of Tim Johnson's Bosley books work the same way with self-guided teaching methods of:

Simple Phrases

Highlighted Vocabulary

Corresponding imagery

Line-by-line Translations

My son and I are really enjoying Bosley as he discovers the cascading waterfall in both English and French. This book also comes in other languages that you and your child can explore and learn: English/Spanish; English/German; English/Italian; English/Russian; and English/Hindi. All of Bosley Discovers the Waterfall books are available at Amazon.

While visiting Japan as a teenager, author Tim Johnson discovered the power of bilingual books. In 2007, he founded the Language Bear bilingual bookstore and is committed to educating children in foreign languages as a tool for increasing cultural awareness and gaining new perspectives. He lives in Maine with his wife and twin boys.

Bosley Discovers the Waterfall is just one of a series of Tim Johnson's Bosley dual language books. Each one seems to be a delightful story, and each also will help your child discover a new language.

Friday, September 26, 2014

I received the following LED camera light in exchange for a fair and honest review. No other compensation was received.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may have realized that we are avid amateur photographers. We do love taking our pictures. With our digital Nikon, we can take hundreds of photos. One thing we don't like is the built-in flash on our camera. There are so many times that when it comes on, what we are photographing just looks too washed out. Then there is the 'demon' eye look of those dreaded red eye.

So, what's better than my built-in flash on my camera to take better pictures? The Chromo Inc. CI-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power Light Panel. The easy-to-use CI-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power Light Panel features 160 high-quality LED bulbs that enhance the quality of your photos and video by adding additional lighting. Use the lighting panel alone or with one of the included colored panels, to add color effects and balancing to your photos.

The CI-160 light panel can be used with a variety of battery types for
up to three days of consistent light, including AA, HI-MH, Sony lithium,
and Panasonic lithium batteries. Whether you own a Canon, Nokia or Olympus camera, the included hot/cold shoe connector fits thousands of models. Simply mount and secure the lighting panel onto the top of your camera and voilà, you're ready to take fabulous photos all on your own.

And a pink filter. I have yet to find out what pink is supposed to do for your pictures. I have fooled with it a bit, and it does brighten the colors of what you are photographing.

This handy light panel features high-quality LED bulbs that are essential in shooting better quality photos and video. Use the dimmer switch to adjust the brightness level from low to high. With the CI-160, you control the lighting in your photos. There is also a button on the back that when you press it, it will give you the level of your battery power. I like that!

This is a very good light source when taking pictures, and I do recommend you get one. It would be perfect for holiday pictures. It is very reasonably priced for only $26.95, and you can buy the Chromo Inc. CI-160 at Amazon. I just had a few issues with this. While it does come with a user guide, but it's more about safety tips, and not on how to install it on your camera, nor how to use. Also, you have to make sure the batteries are in properly because the positive side of the battery can slip off a bit. For the cheap price of the CI-160, these are really minimal objections. Compared, for me, the price of a Nikon Speedlight flash, this is a much better alternative, and I am very happy with the CI-160.

Chromo Inc was born because they saw the need for more inexpensive alternatives etc

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

HERBTHEORY sent me one bottle of Stress and Sleep in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

There are some nights that I just can't get to sleep. Something was on my mind, some little worry, that today seems trivial, but back then just stressed me out.

We all can get little worries and bothers that can keep us awake. Perhaps one of the kids is sick, or there was an unexpectant expense that popped up that's not within the budget, or your white-gloved mother-in-law is coming to visit. This list could go on and on because stress factors are everywhere.

I recently have been relieving some of my stress and getting better night's sleep with HERBTHEORY Stress and Sleep. It's an herbal dietary supplement that can help reduce your stress thereby promoting relaxation. Stress and Sleep will not cause drowsiness. It is helping me to relax at night, and I fall asleep much quicker and easier. Before starting HERBTHEORY Stress and Sleep, I was not getting to sleep until after midnight even though I got to bed around 10:30. Now, when I go to bed at 10:30, I don't just lay around, I fall asleep quickly, and sleeping at least a full 6-7 hours. I am waking up more refreshed, and it's so much easier to get up to take my morning walk.

The secret to HERBTHEORY's stress relief is it's key ingredient of Cyracos. Cyracos is a whole extract of lemon balm leaves. Cyracos is a process by Naturex. Naturex devloped a natural extraction process of preserving all the plant’s identity in the extract. It's just like the raw material of the lemon balm leaf.

Chinese Mint - Well, peppermint is something that we have in our home constantly. It is mainly associated with digestive problems and as a decongestant. Yet, mint is also an an effective relaxant and can be helpful in treating nervous insomnia, stress, anxiety, and restlessness.

Silk Tree Bark is a mood enhancer and a sleep inducer.

Jujube seeds help to reduce stress and promote sleep.

The suggested use is three capsules daily with a meal as a dietary supplement. HERBTHEORY Stress and Sleep is not to be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you have a medical condition or take pharmaceutical drugs, consult with your doctor before using this product. Keep this supplement and all your supplements out of reach of your children. This product is HERBAL, it takes time to build in the system. Please allow at least 7 days of continuous use for best results.

I have been taking just one or two capsules with dinner, depending on how stressed I feel in the evenings, and it works very well for me. Each one of us is different, and this might or might not work for you. I do recommend it for those who are stressed out, and would like to take a natural herbal remedy to reduce stress to promote better sleep. This WILL NOT make you drowsy, it just helps to relieve some of the daily stress so you can sleep better at night.

Vegan ~ Gluten-free ~ Wild-crafted herbs ~ Non-GMO

Would you like to try Herbtheory Stress and Sleep to see if it may promote a better night's sleep? BUY IT TODAY at HERBTHEORY for only $28.95. All orders at Herbtheory are shipped for a flat rate of only $6.

HERBTHEORY means trust you can count on. From the beginning, their goal has been to build a line of effective herbal supplements that far exceeds your expectations. With the highest of quality standards, we ensure all of our products are natural, healthy, safe, non-GMO, sustainable, and eco-friendly.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

I received both Framesi shampoo and conditioner from BeautyCareChoices.com in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.

Even though I do not color treat my hair, I always get shampoo and conditioner for myself. Why? Because living under the hot dry desert sun is horrible for your hair. I see the impact of it on the clothes we dry under the sun. That sun will dry out and bleach our clothing, and our hair does get the same way - dried out ends and bleached out color.

Most of the shampoos and conditioners that we get in our big box nationwide stores I don't care for. Even if the bottle says moisturizing and color safe, my hair doesn't get moisturized leaving me with dry broken off ends that frizz, and my hair loses its rich dark brown color.

I do love trying new shampoos and conditioners made by companies that cater to beauty salons. BeautyCareChoices.com sent me the BY "Be Yourself" from Framesi shampoo and conditioner. Framesi is an Italian company that has passion, innovation, and commitment to research, provides hair stylists with exclusive products and professional services aimed at growing salon business. Despite its significant growth and international expansion, Framesi has kept the values of a family company, which has worked together with hairstylists since 1945.

The Framesi BY shampoo for color treated hair is a rich moisturizing shampoo that will gently cleanse your hair. It has a unique combination of vitamins and natural conditioning agents that work in synergy with nourishing pearl protein. Thermal and UV protectants help maintain color leaving your hair rich, vibrant, and weightless. It will not build up in your hair.

The Framesi BY conditioner is very rich, thick, and moisturizing. It nourishes color-treated hair with a unique combination of pearl protein, restructuring amino acids, and vitamins. This, too, has thermal and UV protectants, it will keep your vibrant hair color while also maintaining its shine, elasticity, and energy. Leaves hair weightless, manageable, and will not build up in your hair.

After using this pair of shampoo of condition by Framesi for a week, I can honestly tell you that my hair feels great! It is very manageable. My hair, by the time summer ends, is quite frizzy. My hair has lost much of the frizziness and is looking much more smoother and shinier. Just last night, one of my daughters remarked that my hair is looking much more nicer especially the ends.

Where's the best place to find Framesi BY shampoo and conditioner? You might be able to find it at a fine salon near you, but the best place to get it is at BeautyCareChoices.com. Beauty Care Choices has the best price available for the Framesi BY. Purchase Framesi BY shampoo for only $15.99 for the 8.4 oz size, and purchase Framesi BY conditioner for only $17.99 for the 8.4 oz size. Both the shampoo and conditioner are available in larger sizes.

Beauty Care Choices is an authorized online beauty supply store. They offer Free shipping on all orders over $49. Shipping is fast, and, if needed, easy returns. There are hundreds of salon brands to choose from at BeautyCareChoices.com.

With many thanks to Beauty Care Choices, one person is going to win the same pair of Framesi BY Shampoo and Conditioner for color treated hair that I reviewed. Both are 8.4 oz with a total prize value of $33.98. This giveaway will end on October 11, 2014, and is open to US residents 18+ only.

Last week, I posted a picture of the Mojave Green Rattlesnake that one of us found late on last Tuesday night. A few mornings later, while taking our morning walk, we came across the tracks of a sidewinder rattlesnake.

A sidewinder, if you have never seen anything about them, makes quite a different track in the sand. It is a kind of an 'S' shape. These rattlesnakes do prefer a sandy desert, which we have around our house. They only grow to about 18-20 inches. I find that they are a bit nomadic, and just keeps moving along. This one has been around the western part of our five acres, which is away from the house, for a few weeks.

Like most snakes, their most active time to hunt is after the sun goes down. This fellow looks as if he came across a kangaroo rat, and had a good meal.

You can click on any picture and see it full size.

This is where he started on our path.

Traveled down it about 10 feet.

Here he came across the ill fated kangaroo rat.

This is where he first caught the rat.

Struggled with it up the path about five feet.

With a kangaroo rat starting to digest, the sidewinder stops its 'S' movement, and heads over the berm of our path.

The sidewinder headed to a hole to digest its dinner and sleep.

We did not find where the snake came out. There is such a crisscross of critter holes everywhere, and you never know where one goes to.

He's gone now. We have not seen his tracks since that morning last week.

Hello! Welcome to Danielle's Royalegacy Reviews and More. As a SAHM and long-time resident of the Southern California High Desert, I am devoted to my husband of 32 years, my six wonderful children, and now three sweet grandchildren. Starting in 1989, I home schooled all of my children with two becoming university graduates in chemistry and physics. We consider ourselves a family with character(s)!

My favorite things to do are play games with the family, play the piano, embroider, read, watch classic movies with the family, and bake bread. My husband may do most of the cooking in the family, which he loves to do, but I bake the best bread.

I focus my blog on items that would be of interest to families. Royalegacy Reviews and More is a family friendly site, so you will never see any adult content here.

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